Israel's Arsenal of "Less Lethal" Weapons

Israel has a large arsenal of less-lethal weapons to control crowds, subdue individuals or, as we saw this Monday, back raids. Here is a look at the weapons—from all-too-harmless paintball guns to those that can be lethal.

When Israeli commandos launched their assault on ships bound for Gaza on Monday, the plan was to take them without bloodshed. It was a tall order, but after decades of conflict the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has built up a comprehensive arsenal of "less lethal" weapons, many of them developed indigenously. These cover everything from controlling large crowds to subduing individuals. However, technology has so far failed to deliver a Star Trek–styled phaser that is both completely harmless and perfectly effective. Each type of weapon has its own strengths and weaknesses. And as the botched raid shows, smart tactical use of such weapons is essential or everything can go tragically wrong.

Paintball Guns

The commandos of Flotilla 13, Israel's equivalent of the SEALs, were armed with paintball guns. This was an unusual use for paintballing gear, but not unique. For crowd control, paintballs are usually replaced with solid rubber slugs or rounds that break apart and release a cloud of pepper dust. Standard paintball guns do not produce enough impact force to deter a motivated opponent; the U.S. military prefers the FN303 launcher, which has twice the muzzle energy. In this case, the paintballs do not seem to have been effective.

Stun Grenades

The commandos reportedly used stun grenades during their assault. Otherwise known as "flash-bangs" or diversionary devices, these resemble standard hand grenades but do not produce any dangerous shrapnel. The brilliant flash and loud report will disorient the target for a few seconds but should not cause serious injuries. The short duration of effect means they are best used just before entering a room or building. (The Israeli Air Forces has also reportedly used larger "sound bombs" to warn civilians away before it carried out missile strikes on buildings.)

Tear-Gas Grenades

Tear-gas grenades were also used during the assault, according to firsthand accounts. The name is not quite accurate, as they actually produce a cloud of fine powder (usually the irritant CS) rather than gas. Such weapons cannot be used in wartime, since they are considered chemical weapons, but they are widely used in police operations. Tear-gas grenades can cover a wide area and incapacitate the target for an extended period, but they can easily be made ineffective by gas masks—which some activists had brought with them.

Tasers

Taser International has not officially announced any sales to Israel, but last August an IDF press release mentioned that special units had been training with the M-26 Taser stun gun. This single-shot weapon fires a pair of darts trailing electrical wires to a range of up to 35 feet. On striking the target, the darts deliver a series of powerful but supposedly harmless shocks. Some of the activists have reported that electric-shock weapons were used during this week's action, suggesting that Tasers may have been deployed.

The Scream

In 2005 the IDF started using a vehicle-mounted device dubbed the Scream. This generates a loud and piercing sound reported to cause dizziness and nausea. It has been suggested that the device causes a sort of artificial seasickness by affecting the inner ear, but there has been no independent verification of this. In any case, within days of the device being deployed, Palestinian protesters had found they could neutralize the effects of the Scream by stuffing cotton in their ears.

Skunk Spray

In 2008 the IDF started using a "skunk" spray, which smells so repellent it drives people out of the area. Described by one journalist who experienced it as "an overpowering mix of rotting meat [and] old socks that haven't been washed for weeks—topped off with the pungent waft of an open sewer," it can be used to enhance the effects of a water cannon. Again, there are obvious countermeasures such as a clothes peg over the nose.

Kinetic Rounds

Over the years the IDF has experimented with different types of less-lethal ammunition for standard military rifles. These have included plastic slugs and bullets made of compressed sand that disintegrates on impact without breaking the skin. These do not appear to be in general use, and the standard crowd-control ammunition is a large rubber-coated steel bullet fired from a special launcher. This can penetrate the skull, causing lethal injuries.

Active Denial

The Active Denial System, or "pain beam," developed in the U.S. fires a beam of microwaves that penetrates clothing and heats up the target's skin. This is generally harmless but extremely painful, forcing victims to get out of the beam within seconds. The U.S. version is truck-mounted, but in 2009 researchers at the College of Judea & Samaria announced plans for a portable Active Denial device called WaveStun using new technology. Details have since been removed from the college's website, and it is not known if the Israeli development is progressing.

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